On the New York City Cabs, Check Your Tip

So, I started using the 'credit card in cabs' system now mandatory in New York. I want to say, the video they play on the TV is pretty distracting, so now I

1. Get into a cab
2. Give the driver instructions
3. Stare fixedly at the screen
4. Push the 'Off' button when it comes on

I don't feel this -- referring to steps 3 and 4 -- is a good use of my time or attention. And a friend told me today that if I were to listen to the newscasts, I'd discover they were out of date. But, we've known about that part.

What I discovered paying with a credit card (besides the fact that the RFID chip in my card scarily enough works, so now I have to be careful not to walk too near readers,) is that the machines themselves... well, I don't want to generalize based on one experience. But, I had a $5 tab. I hit the '20% tip' button, as it was easier than typing in $1, and that was what I would have given him anyway. It popped up as $2. I confirmed this was happening with a few more stabs at the touch screen, and then manually typed in the $1 tip.

So, these probably have a year or two to go before they're trustworthy.